Have one of those places that no matter what you absolutely can not figure out?

There is one cove on Toledo that is that way, when it's on it's on but when it aint it aint.

We call it Rat-L-Trap Cove because for some reason when the bass are there you can slay them on traps but not much of anything else; I think I've caught 2 bass and a Choupique on a spinner bait but nothing else.

Now when it's on you can win a tournament right there; What's up with that?  

http://mapper.acme.com/

even as we consider this question, the bass in that cove ponder a similar dilemma.  "you know, most of the baitfish in this lake are cool to eat.  but for some reason the ones in this cove swim funny, make noise, and sprout hooks.  what's up with that?"

Maybe certain conditions set up the bait fish for them to be in that cove.

    Only Catt and mental notes would be able to evaluate the situation.

  Moving baits, reaction baits seem to be the ticket in Catt's cove which normally would dictate some type of feeding since they are willing to chase a trap.

   Any certain wind conditions that set this cove up?    Times of the year, times of the day, any keys to the puzzle?

Any certain wind conditions that set this cove up?

Nothing particular

Times of the year

Late winter, spring, & fall; summer huh not so much

Times of the day

Each trip has been at different times of the day; I've even tried at night with buzz bait with no results

Any keys to the puzzle?

This cove is located on the back side of a large grass flat that has resident fish year round

I think there are spot's or area's you can only have theories that may even have scientific fact to them but, how can you prove any theory you may come up with? The "why" and the "when" are what we all should want to know. I thought for a few years that this one hump would only have fish on it when they were generating water. Every time I caught them there, the TVA was pulling good water. Then one day when I thought they were pulling water, I caught em' on it. When I get home and look at the water release schedule, they weren't pulling any water. Just one of those spot's, if they are there, they are there.

The only thing that I can find for fact is that they're always seems to be something to eat nearby.

I also know spots that only a couple things seem to work for the said structure. I hear people talk about good "spinnerbait spots" or an awesome "topwater spot". That's unique that a whole cove get's branded as a trap hole.

Those times could indicate cooler water temps.     The only times it seems to be a bad time is summer, which means some higher temps.

Spring, fall, and winter indicate possible cooler water temps.

The only patterns I have found in the 15 years I worked this cove is cooler weather & traps. The cove has excellent structure & various types of vegetation that during summer ¾ of the cover grows over solid. I've tried frogs, rats, & punching through the mats with no bites at all. Even during cooler weather when the bass don't bite it's like they completely abandon this cove.

...I think I've caught 2 bass and a Choupique on a spinner bait but nothing else.

A Choupique?  What's that?  

Man this is tough from a 1000 miles away lol.

Is there an inlet?

Wind generated current? Guess you'd be seeing a pattern there.

The grass flat is the source for most of the fish I would guess. Unless you have many shad chasing school bass -guess TB would.

-Can shad enter and hang out without you noticing?

-What kind of habitat is in the cove ...that is what kind of fish live there? Is it bluegill water?

Two general (1000 mile away) thoughts:

-Bass are transient there bc of limited habitat for prey or availability/catchability of prey. The grass flat might just absorb the majority of activity, except for occasional school fish.

-Assuming you haven't tried everything to unlock this: Habitat type might require a technique you are not familiar with. You might have a nice little piece of finesse water there.

Just some thoughts.

We call it One Fish Anna up this way for Lake Anna.  

Usually a smaller cove located near good feeding area will attract bass when they can push baitfsih schools into the cove and "trap" them. If there isn't anything in the cove that offers the bass something better then the nearby feeding area, they leave and relocate where life is easier.

How do you know the bass are feeding in the cove? trail & error, sometimes you can see the activity.

The place looks great, but nobody is home.

WRB

Amia calva: Bowfin, Choupique (pronounced shoe-pick), Grennel, or cypress bass

Click on the link for satellite or topo of the area

Amia calva: Bowfin, Choupique (pronounced shoe-pick), Grennel, or cypress bass

Click on the link for satellite or topo of the area

I click on the link and I see Denver.

Bowfin! Might there be oxygen issues in there? Is this closed to incoming water, maybe via being the back end of that shallow flat? With 90+F water temps in summer? Stagnant??

BTW, what's a cypress bass?

I click on the link and I see Denver.

I clicked on the link, and I see the planet, LOL.  I thought it was a trick question.

when your results are less than desirable in this or any other spot, common sense dictates there are only 3 possiblities.  

1-either the fish aren't there or there are very few of them there.

2-there are fish there and they are unwilling to bite.

3-there are fish there and they will bite, just not what you're throwing.

if common sense dictates to me that the fish "should" be there based on seen or unseen factors, i operate under the assumption that they are.   if i cover that area thouroughly and the fish won't bite, i assume that they don't want what i'm throwing and try something else.  if i cover the area thouroughly with a variety of baits throughout the water column and still no takers, it's fairly safe to assume that i was either mistaken about the fish being there to begin with or they just aren't gonna hit anything.  time to move on.

i think you basically answered your own question when you said :

when it's on it's on but when it aint it aint.

that pretty much universally applies doesn't it?

as far as the idea of trap or nothing goes, i have a hard time with that one.  usually fish that will bite a trap are active fish.  being hot fish, they may prefer a trap, but they should bite other things too.  but of course if they are smacking the trap, why would you be throwing something else? ;D  unless it was to try to target a better grade of fish.   interesting.

I click on the link and I see Denver.

I clicked on the link, and I see the planet, LOL. I thought it was a trick question.

;D

Try coordinates N 31.29828 W 93.72299

There is not an oxygen issue since this cove has 2 creeks feeding it; if you click on the DOQ they are clearly visible.

paul 15 years of trying this cove under every conceivable condition & every conceivable technique has failed with the exception of lipless crank baits.

Paul Roberts, the cove has an abundant supply of vegetation of various types both submergent and emergent plus cypress tress and buck brush. Water depth runs from 14-16' at the mouth down to 4' in the extreme north end.

that's pretty amazing.  and you tried other baits when they were biting the trap, not just when they weren't, correct? :-?  

Yea there is a bayou on a local lake called Jumping By.  There have been many days that people have hit it just right and caught unbeleivable stringers of fish but most days you can go and fish till your arm falls off and not get a bite.  I guess it's just one of those big fish places where you always want to stop and see if there biting on tournament day after you have your five fish in the boat.

One thing I have learned is that just because there is "ideal" cover in an area it don't mean bass will use it. I have almsot the exact same situation on my lake some 1500 miles away in the north east. Fish will be in there in the spring and the fall but in summer it's a ghost town. I have a strong guess  on why they are not in there on my lake in the summer, but I need a little more info on yours. For instance what is the bottom like, hard, sand, mud, etc??? Whats the PH of the water in there? Water Clarity? What do the feeder streams flow through before they dump into that cove? Does the bait also leave in summer? LOL maybe a few big gar move in there in the summer and the bass stay away.

Bottom is a mixture of sand and sandy clay

Water clarity is clear to slightly stained year round

PH of the water stays steady

The feeder creeks run through Texas hill country